Football

Dunga succeeds Scolari as Brazil manager

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazil named Dunga as their manager for the second time on Tuesday, two weeks after they were hammered 7-1 by Germany in the World Cup semi-finals, a result which led to the resignation of former coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

The 50-year-old Dunga, who captained Brazil to their fourth world title in 1994, was last in charge of the national team in 2010 when he was sacked for failing to take them further than the World Cup quarter-finals in South Africa.

"I am immensely happy to be back," he told reporters.

"I have an outline of what I want. Fans know me and they know I am not going to sell a dream but a reality and that reality is we have to work hard."

Dunga acknowledged Brazil have fallen behind the leading European teams in recent years and said he has spent his time outside football watching games and talking to managers and former players such as Arsene Wenger, Ruud Gullit and Arrigo Sacchi.

He warned fans not to expect cavalier football and said the best form of attack is defence.

"Managers today organise the defence in order to be able to attack," he told reporters at a news conference to announce his appointment. "The important thing is not to have four or five players up front, it is to get forward with four or five players. Football today is total. Everyone needs to participate."

Dunga played for a host of clubs in Brazil, Italy, Germany and Japan and was known for his combative midfield style. He captained Brazil to their fourth World Cup in the United States in 1994.

FIRST APPOINTMENT

He was first appointed Brazil manager in 2006 but although he won both the 2007 Copa America and the 2009 Confederations Cup, his team crumbled when they went behind to the Netherlands at the 2010 World Cup and lost 2-1, costing him his job.

His only managerial position in the years since was a 10-month spell in charge of Internacional, the club where he started and ended his playing career.

His appointment as the new Brazil boss was leaked last week and comes just 10 days after Germany won the World Cup.

Brazil hosted the tournament and were favourites to lift the trophy for a record sixth time. But the way they were outfoxed by faster, more agile and tactically astute teams brought calls for a revolution in Brazilian football. Some critics called for a foreign manager to be appointed and others wanted a complete overhaul of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF).

However, the CBF did not wait to dissect the defeats and two days after the cup ended they appointed former goalkeeper and player agent Gilmar Rinaldi as technical coordinator in charge of all Brazil's adult, youth and female sides.

Rinaldi is from the south of the country like Dunga and the two were friends and team mates at both Internacional and on the Brazil side that won the 1994 World Cup. Their friendship and ability to work together is considered to be a major factor in Dunga's appointment just days after Rinaldi was chosen out of the blue.

Dunga acknowledged he has his work cut out to win over fans, with online polls showing a large majority against his appointment.

"The fans are hurting," he said, citing Nelson Mandela as a man whose patience was rewarded. "I need to look for support of the 20-odd percent who support me and try to win over the 70-odd percent who don't with hard work and commitment."

Dunga's first match in charge will be against Colombia in Miami in early September, with further friendlies against Ecuador, Argentina and Turkey to follow.

His first competitive fixtures will be in next year's Copa America in Chile.